Construction of new pea protein production plant in Yorkton to begin this year

A new pulse plant is coming to Yorkton.

On Wednesday, the Louis Dreyfus Company announced a new pea protein isolate production plant at the same site as its existing complex in the southeastern city. Construction is expected to begin this year, with completion projected for the end of 2025.

The completed plant will employ around 60 people.

Brian Conn, the Louis Dreyfus Company’s country manager for Canada, said the move reflects the importance of Canada and Saskatchewan to the company.

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“Canada is a key market for LDC, supporting our strategic growth plans in the region and beyond, and this is reflected in the continued expansion of our origination and processing operations and activities in Saskatchewan, and Yorkton in particular,” Conn said in a statement.

Jeremy Harrison, Saskatchewan’s trade and export development minister, said the announcement shows the province is a good place to invest and to do business, and puts the province on track to meet the pulse processing goal included in the government’s growth plan.

“Today’s announcement takes us one step closer to achieving our goal of processing 50 per cent of the pulse crops produced in Saskatchewan,” Harrison said in a statement.

“This announcement is great news for the Yorkton community and pulse growers across the province.”

Saskatchewan averages four million tonnes of pulse production each year, which includes around 90 per cent of Canada’s lentil exports and 80 per cent of Canada’s pea exports, the Government of Saskatchewan noted.

Dry pea and pea protein exports from Saskatchewan added up to $1.1 billion in 2022.